There are plenty of companions to choose from inStarfield, but how do you min-max friendship? That’s easy; you just ensure you have the best companion with you at all times. I adopted the scientific method of spending time with each major companion to see which of them annoyed me the most and then tried to see if that was outweighed by the benefit of having them around.
Starfield companion tier list
For the most part, I am focusing on the romanceable companions that are Sarah, Sam, Barret, and Andreja, as they provide the deepest gameplay. I do break out Vasco and the Adoring Fan for some individual consideration.
S-Tier
Andreja
Andreja is the best companion because she has a solid skillset, a good demeanor, a great look, and isn’t really very annoying. She can go full stealth mode, which is a lot of fun, and will occasionally give you money. Her overall backstory is quite interesting, and she occupies a strange spot in Constellation where she is happy to get bloody when needed.
Vasco
I am breaking my own rule about not really ranking random characters to point out that Vasco is legit S-Tier. The robot runs into enemy fire just to punch people in the face, carries plenty of weight for you, never judges your dark deeds, and tries to find ways to make you happy. What a great friend. The boost to Shield Systems is also great.
A-Tier
Sarah Morgan
Sarah Morgan is statistically advantaged with good skills and has a decent personal quest, but is brought down by being a little bit annoying. Her earnest belief in all things Constellation and her general unwillingness to turn into a murder-hobo was quite frustrating. Still, if you want to explore the universe, she is a solid option, thanks to the massive Astrodynamics boost in the early game.
Sam Coe
Statistically, this man should be S-Tier, but he will bring you rocks. Rocks. He very earnestly told me that he loved exploring space with me and that I was great to hang out with, then gave me a rock. I also found his side mission a bit boring and his overall dialogue wasn’t for me. Having a kid also kinda sucked, as it filled up my ship with childish glee. Gross.
B-Tier
Barret
Barret is the first guy you meet but rapidly became incredibly annoying to me. I also noticed that his Rank 4 skill really only matters if you want to do some complete shipbuilding, and you may just temp him in as your companion for that when you need him. I felt bad about it because he introduced me to the space-faring life and my cool powers, but he was super annoying.
C-Tier
Adoring Fan
The Adoring Fan comes free with the Hero Worshipped trait during character creation. He is useful at the start, as he is essentially a free crew member. He does become very annoying, very quickly.
D-Tier
The Space Dorks
The Space Dorks are basically everyone else in the game. You might run into someone like Mathis during a mission, or perhaps you will meet someone random at a bar. They are all basically outpost fodder and hardly the greatest characters in the world.
These characters are mostly just good for planting at outposts and doing grunt work, they normally don’t even have the best skills to warrant making it onto your ship. It is really up to you whether you want to engage with them or not, but you’re able to find them all listed below.
Now, if you are looking for a nice big ship to fly all those folks around in, go grab the Kepler R bycompleting the Overdesigned mission.
